Railroad car mover



July 26, 1966 c. LUDWIG RAILROAD CAR MOVER Filed May 5, 1964 INVENTOR. CA2/ LuDw/e urlMlLluHm BY JJM, mmm W TTONE 7/5.

United States Patent O 3,262,399 RAILROAD CAR MOVER Carl Ludwig, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to McDowell- Wellman Engineering Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 5, 1964, Ser. No. 365,052 Claims. (Cl. 104-176) This invention relates to devices to move railroad cars along a fixed trackway and more particularly to an irnproved device for moving a railroad car along a xed trackway.

This invention is particularly adapted for use where 1t is desired to mechanically move a railroad car or a group of such cars over an extended length of trackway; for example, moving cars into -a thaw shed or rotary dumper. The railroad cars are normally brought to Ithe site by either diesel or steam driven locomotives. From this point, in order to provide better control of the operation, a mechanical device is used to move the cars lalong-the trackway into the thawing sheds or rotary dumpers, whichever the case may be. This invention accomplishes thls by providing a car mover adapted to move the railroad car along its trackway, movable along a second It'rackway adjacent and parallel to the main trackway. T his mvention provides another advantage in that .providmg a second trackway is .a comparatively simple yand economlc operation when compared to either underground or above ground structures required for other devices.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, then, said invention consists of the means herein'- after fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, the following description and annexed drawings settingt forth in detail certain illustrative enrbodlments of the invention, such disclosed means constituting,v

however, but a few of the various forms in which the principle of this invention may be employed.

To the annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the railroad car mover in relation to the railroad cars on .the adjacent trackway.

FIG. 2 is a side View of the car mover.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the car mover in relation to a railroad ca-r on the adjacent trackway.

Briefly stated, this invention is an improvement in a device for moving a railroad car along a main Itrackway which includes an arm pivotally secured to a pivot arm support or car mover, which is movable adjacent the main trackway. Also included are means for moving the car mover. In accordance herewith there is provided a second trackway adjacent and parallel to the main trackway. Also provided, is a car mover movable along the second trackway. Pivotally secured to the car mover is an arm having engaging means secured to its free extremity for coaction with a conventionally designed coupler secured at each extremity of the railroad car .to pull the railroad car along the main trackway. The engaging means includes Oppositely disposed pairs of pivoting lingers, each pair adapted to encircle and grab the coupler, or oppositely disposed finger portions, each -of which fingers is adapted to be grabbed by a conventionally designed coupier, or a conventionally designed railroad car coupler integral with a pushing means for pushing the railroad car along the main trackway.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3 of the annexed drawings, there is shown fragmentary sections of two railroad cars generally indicated at 5 and 6 which move along a main trackway composed of rails 7 and 8. Adjacent to, and parallel to the main trackway is a second trackway composed of rails 9 and 10, which are similar to rails 7 and 8. Moving along this second fixed trackway is a pivot arm support or car mover generally indicated `at 11. The car mover 11 may be a conventionally designed railroad car adapted to carry the pivot arm and the necessary means 3,262,399 Patented July 26, 1966 to drive the car 11 along the second trackway. The car mover 11 is mounted on conventionally designed trucks indicated at 12 and 13, adjacent each extremity.

The car mover 11 is driven along the second fixed trackway by a pair -of rotating gears or drive wheels 14 and 15 having a plurality of outstanding lugs circumferentially spaced around their periphery. `The wheels 14 and 15 extend |below the car mover 11. The lugs of the rotating wheels coact with rungs of a fixed driving ladder 16, which is located outside the second trackway adjacent one of the rails to move the car mover 11 along the second trackway. As shown in this particular embodiment, the ladder 16 is adjacent rail 9. The wheels 14 and 15 are rotated through a system of pulleys and gears by any suitable motor means; for example the wheel 14 is rotated through a system of gears, belts and pulleys by motor means 17. The wheel 15 is similarly driven by similar motor means 18. The wheels 14 and 15, rotated by oppositely disposed driving means, may work together first driving the car mover 11 along the second trackway in one direction, and then by reversing the motors, driving the car mover in the reverse direction, or independently, one driving means driving the car mover 11 in one direction along the second fixed track and the other driving means driving the car mover in the reverse direction.

The pivot arm generally indicated at 21 is substantially L-shaped, comprising a shaft portion 22 and an outstanding arm 23 integral with the shaft portion 22. The shaft portion 22 of the pivot arm 21 is rotatably secu-red to the side of the car mover 11 adjacent the main trackway. In this embodiment of the invention the pivot arm 21 is secured to the car mover 11 adjacent one extremity. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a combination conventionally designed railroad car coupler 24 and pusher portion 19 are secured to the free extremity of the arm 23. The coupler 24 lockingly engages a similar conventionally designed coupler secured to each extremity of the railroad car, e.g coupler 25, for pulling the railroad car along the main trackway. The pusher portion 19, integral with the coupler 24, lis used to push the railroad car along the main ytrackway. Oppositely disposed finger portions capable of being grabbed yby a coupler, or pairs of Oppositely disposed finger portions capable of grabbing a coupler may be used in place of the coupler and pusher employed in the prefer-red embodiment shown and described. The coupled railroad car is pulled along the main trackway. The pusher portion 19 is adapted to coact with a pushing pad secured to each extremity of a railroad car adjacent and vertically in line with the coupler, for example, pushing pad 20 secured to the railroad car 6. The car mover pulls the railroad carto the dumper or thaw shed with its coupler; Ithen backs olf and uses its pusher portion to push the railroad car into the dumper or thaw shed. The pivot arm 21 is rotated into and out of engagement with the railroad cars lby any suitable motor driven means affixed to the car mover 11; for example, the motor driven means generally indicated at 26 secured to the car mover 11.

A pushing ar-m 27 is also pivotally secured to car mover 11 adjacent its other extremity on the side of car mover 11 adjacent the rnain trackway. The pushing arm 27 is provided to keep the railroad cars at spaced intervals along the trackway, and is adapted to engage bumping blocks secured to the extremities of the railroad cars, e.g. block 28. The pushing arm 27 is substantially L-shaped and has abumper pad 34 secured to its free extremity for pushing `against the bumper block 28. A pair of expansible link arms are used to rotate the pushing arm 27 into and out of pushing engagement with the railroad car. One link arm 29 of the pair of expansible link arm-s, is pivotally secured to the pushing arm 27 intermediate its extremities. The other `link arm 30 is pivotally secured to the car mover 11. The other extremities of link arms 29 and 30 are pivot-ally secured to means for expanding the expansible link arms generally indicated at 31. In this embodiment of the invention the expanding means 31 is a hydraulically operated piston in cylinder 32.

An operators cab 33 is secured to the car mover 11 adjacent the pivot arm 21. Placing the operators cab 33 close to the pivot arm 21 gives the operator better control yof the railroad car pulling operation.

Thus has been provided a highly improved device for moving railroad cars along a ixed trackway. As previously mentioned, Vthis method by which railroad cars are moved along their trackway is economical to build and maintain. Another advantage lof this particular mode of operation is that the railroad cars could be moved over Ian extended length of trackway more economically than other methods which require expensive structures and equipment.

Other modes of applying the principle `of this invention may be employed instead of those specifically set forth above, changes being made as regards the details herein disclosed, provided the elements set forth in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such be employed.

It is, therefore, particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed as the invention:

1. A device for moving a railroad car along a main trackway, comprising in combination:

(a) a second trackway disposed adjacent and parallel to the main trackway;

(a) a car mover mounted on wheels movable along the second trackway;

(c) an arm mounted `on one end yof the car mover for rotation in a plane normal to the main and second trackway;

(d) means secured to the free extremity of the arm for engaging the coupler of a roalroad car on the main trackway in order to pull the car along the trackway; and

(e) lrneans mounted on the other end of the car for pushing engagement with an adjacently disposed railroad car on the main trackway.

2. The device of claim 1, which includes:

(f) Imeans for moving the car mover along the second trackway, including:

(l) a runged driving ladder disposed adjacent to and parallel to one of the rails `of the second trackway;

(2) a wheel secured to the car mover having outstanding lugs circumferentially spaced on its periphery for coaction with the rungs of the driving ladder; and

(3) means for rotating the Wheel.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the coupler engaging and pulling means includes, means for engaging and pushing a railroad car on the main trackway.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the means mounted on the other end of the car for pushing an adjacently disposed railroad car includes, a second arm mounted for rotation towards `and away from the railroad car for engaging a pad mounted on the car.

5. The device -of claim 4 wherein the car engaging and pulling means includes a coupler.

References Cited hy the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 339,831 4/1886 Abt 10S-29 900,776 10/ 1908 Pratt 10S-29 1,125,110 1/1915 Jones 104-170' 1,162,760 12/1915 Fickinger 1041-176 2,199,470 5/1940 Taylor 213*224 3,169,490 2/ 1965 Saxon-meyer 104-176 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

F. W. MONAGHAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR MOVING A RAILROAD CAR ALONG A MAIN TRACKWAY, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A SECOND TRACKWAY DISPOSED ADJACENT AND PARALLEL TO THE MAIN TRACKWAY; (A) A CAR MOVER MOUNTED ON WHEELS MOVABLE ALONG THE SECOND TRACKWAY; (C) AN ARM MOUNTED ON ONE END OF THE CAR MOVER FOR ROTATION IN A PLANE NORMAL TO THE MAIN AND SECOND TRACKWAY; (D) MEANS SECURED TO THE FREE EXTREMITY OF THE ARM FOR ENGAGING THE COUPLER OF A ROALROAD CAR ON THE MAIN TRACKWAY IN ORDER TO PULL THE CAR ALONG THE TRACKWAY; AND (E) MEANS MOUNTED ON THE OTHER END OF THE CAR FOR PUSHING ENGAGEMENT WITH AN ADJACENTLY DISPOSED RAILROAD CAR ON THE MAIN TRACKWAY. 